Dr. Jake Lichterman, MD
I grew up in Los Angeles, California. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After UCLA, I spent multiple years in the laboratory of Dr. Edwin Posadas at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where I studied prostate cancer metastasis and co-led a project that utilized a novel microfluidic chip platform to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from metastatic prostate cancer patients. We demonstrated that CTC nuclear size was able to differentiate patients with visceral metastases from patients with bone metastases alone or non-metastatic disease. I attended medical school at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City where I designed and led a project that demonstrated that testosterone was able to increase tumorigenesis and metastasis of human osteosarcoma in vivo. I completed my Internal Medicine residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center and am currently a Hematology/Oncology fellow in the UT Southwestern Internal Medicine Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) under the mentorship of Dr. Andrew Koh. I am fascinated by the undiscovered potential of the gut microbiota to modulate extraintestinal malignancies and anti-tumor immunity. I am studying the role of the gut microbiota in anti-tumor immunity with specific interests in the intersection of the gut microbiota and immune system with environmental factors to modulate the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade. Outside of the lab, I enjoy exploring new cultures through travel and food and supporting my favorite basketball teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and UCLA Bruins.